HomeMotorsportJann Mardenborough to compete in GP3: From gaming to racetrack

Jann Mardenborough to compete in GP3: From gaming to racetrack

2011 GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough, is set to compete in GP3 in 2014 with Arden International. He joins intensive driver development program with Infiniti Red Bull Racing. Nissan PlayStation GT Academy is now confirmed as a genuine alternative route into professional motorsport.

Through the past 2 seasons, Jann Mardenborough has competed in GT cars, Le Mans Prototypes and single-seaters. He secured 2nd place in the New Zealand-based TRS single-seater championship, and a podium finish at Le Mans in 2013. At Arden International, last year Russian racer Daniil Kyvat won the GP3 title, and will now race in F1 with Toro Rosso in 2014.

“I feel ready for GP3,” said Mardenborough. “I’ve prepared well and I have all the right people around me to help my development so I can fully focus on my racing. Formula 3 has taught me so many things, both in the car and out of the car, both mentally and physically. It was a great stage in my development and I’m sure the skills I’ve learned there will help me in GP3 and beyond. I’m excited to work with Arden. My initial impressions of them are excellent; they have a lot of experience and great success over the years. I’m looking forward to working with my race engineer Sean (McGill).

“I haven’t raced the GP3 car yet,” he continued. “But going on initial testing, I prefer the GP3 car to an F3 car. The power is very addictive! This season is my opportunity to impress more people in the sport who make the decisions on who makes it into F1 and who doesn’t, and I’m going to give it my best shot.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Jann onto our program,” said Andy Damerum, Red Bull Racing’s driver development manager. “We have been tracking Nissan’s innovative approach to motorsport and in particular GT Academy that challenges the status quo of motorsport. The traditional route to F1 of karting and single-seaters is a tried and tested success, but Nissan and PlayStation have gone down a very different road and started to find some very talented drivers who have been doing all their practicing on a games console. I’m very interested to see how Jann fares on our program and in GP3 this season, and I look forward to taking him under the Infiniti Red Bull Racing wing to further progress his career. ”

The mentor for the UK finalists of GT Academy 2011 was none other than Johnny Herbert, who has kept a close eye on Jann ever since.

“I have been mightily impressed with what Jann has achieved since winning GT Academy,” said Herbert. “For someone with Jann’s experience doing so well is very rare to see. Last year he raced in the European F3 series, which is hell of a tough challenge during your first season; the fact that it was Jann’s first season in any kind of single-seaters is incredible. Whilst he has had a very successful first year in GT racing and he has now got an amazing result at Le Mans 24 Hours under his belt, he is competing against drivers that have grown up with seasons of karting and single-seater experience behind them.”

Herbert continued: “His talent has not only impressed me but has now got experienced figureheads in motorsport talking about what Jann, Nissan and what GT Academy is achieving. The world of motorsport is recognizing that GT Academy is helping bring talented young blood into the sport. The success of Jann and other GT Academy winners is also inspiring a new legion of gaming and motorsport fans by giving them a new route to becoming a professional racing driver. The only question that remains unanswered is, ‘Can a gamer make it all the way to F1?'”

“Jann’s progress is just the tip of the iceberg for the success of the graduates of GT Academy,” said Nissan’s Director of Global Motosport, Darren Cox. “Last year we took 41 podiums around the world including Le Mans, the Spa 24 hours and the Dubai 24 hours and won two championships in the GT-R NISMO. The innovation is now obvious to everyone who looks into the detail. However, like most innovations, this was not the case when we kicked the program off six years ago. Nissan and Playstation have bought motorsport to a new generation of digital fans, and now we are expanding even further geographically. Recent additions to our core markets of Europe, Russia and the U.S. are India and the Middle East, and more new markets will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Rushlane Google news